Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That all functions, responsibilities, authorities, and duties of the Department of the Interior, the Bureau of Indian Affairs,
Secretary of the Interior, and the Commissioner of Indian Affairs relating to the maintenance and operation of hospital and
health facilities for Indians, and the conservation of the health of Indians, are hereby transferred to, and shall be administered
by, the Surgeon General of the United States Public Health Service, under the supervision and direction of the Secretary of
Health, Education, and Welfare: Provided, That hospitals now in operation for a specific tribe or tribes of Indians shall not be closed prior to July 1, 1956, without
the consent of the governing body of the tribe or its organized council.

SEC. 2.

Whenever the health needs of the Indians can be better met thereby, the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare is authorized
in his discretion to enter into contracts with any State, Territory, or political subdivision thereof, or any private nonprofit
corporation, agency or institution providing for the transfer by the United States Public Health Service of Indian hospitals
or health facilities, including initial operating equipment and supplies.

It shall be a condition of such transfer that all facilities transferred shall be available to meet the health needs of the
Indians and that such health needs shall be given priority over those of the non-Indian population. No hospital or health facility that has been constructed or maintained for a specific tribe of Indians, or for a specific
group of tribes, shall be transferred by the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare to a non-Indian entity or organization
under this Act unless such action has been approved by the governing body of the tribe, or by the governing bodies of a majority
of the tribes, for which such hospital or health facility has been constructed or maintained: Provided, That if, following such transfer by the United States Public Health Service, the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare
finds

the hospital or health facility transferred under this section is not thereafter serving the need of the Indians, the Secretary
of Health, Education, and Welfare shall notify those charged with management thereof, setting forth needed improvements, and
in the event such improvements are not made within a time to be specified, shall immediately assume management and operation
of such hospital or health facility.

SEC. 3.

The Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare is also authorized to make such other regulations as he deems desirable to
carry out the provisions of this Act.

SEC. 4.

The personnel, property, records, and unexpended balances of appropriations, allocations, and other funds (available or to
be made available), which the Director of the Bureau of the Budget shall determine to relate primarily to the functions transferred
to the Public Health Service of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare hereunder, are transferred for use in the administration
of the functions so transferred. Any of the personnel transferred pursuant to this Act which the transferee agency shall find
to be in excess of the personnel necessary for the administration of the functions transferred to such agency shall be retransferred
under existing law to other positions in the Government or separated from the service.

SEC. 5.

The Act of April 3, 1952 (66 Stat. 35), and all other laws or parts of laws in conflict herewith, are hereby repealed.